Day 26: Uber-Touristy Prague

I’m on my way south now and decided to breeze through the Czech Republic on my way down to Slovenia and Croatia.  I caught the train from Krakow to Prague and arrived early in the evening.  I didn’t have anything booked but was lucky enough to find a cheap hostel near the train station.

I spent the evening re-acquainting myself with the city: I was last in Prague back in 1999 and was curious to see what had changed.  I walked down through the Stare Mesto (Old Town), past the groovy Astronomical Clock, and across the Karluv Most (Charles Bridge, one of my favourite bridges of all time) to the Hradcany side of the city with its castle and palaces on the hill above.  While it’s definitely still as beautiful as ever, to see the amount of tourist development that’s been done was truly astounding!  The place was rammed with hordes of tour groups, far too many American college students, heaps of backpackers and tons of bachelor(ette) parties.

I had the next day free so I used it to re-explore parts of the city that I visited when I was last there – Prague Castle with its hourly changing of the guard, the impressive stained glass in St Vitus Cathedral, yet another walk across Charles Bridge etc etc.

The view across Charles Bridge to Prague Castle on the hill.

   
The Astronomical Clock in Staromestske with Tyn Church in the background.

   
The Changing of the Guard.

   
Stained glass and a sculpture on the gate outside the St. Vitus Cathedral.

   
Sunset on Charles Bridge.